Monday, September 30, 2013

You will have to give Brad a shout for me! A quote he said in Priesthood pops up a lot sometimes.. he said,"the harder you work in your mission, the hotter your wife will be", haha! good memories, good times! Wow! I can't believe 24 degrees! I was missing the snow, but I think I will be fine. I was freezing last night with 2 sheets and the blanket you sent at 70 degrees. It was a cold night cuz of the rain!!! Yah I have been listening to conferences as I workout in the mornings. You know we try to be obedient, but I can't lie I started to listen to the radio when I worked out in the morning.. cuz I thought I needed to have that drive! I was terribly mistaken, but I'm glad I could learn this lesson on my mission! That day for missionary work was terrible, I repented and found out that working out to General Confernce talks is just as good if not better! Enlighten my body and mind! Some scriptures I applied to that was Alma 26:12 I am nothing but through Christ I can do all things! And Mormon 4:15 where they were driven to do great works by anger, same as I was with my workout, but in the end it worked out better to be driven my good, uplifting things!! Learning so much from my district and my companion!! We had a good week for teaching but 0 at church! Something we need to focus on more! I feel good about this week cuz we have bigged up the prophet so much! But we gotta keep people coming!! The teachings are all there, just waiting for them to act!! But church was good with the members starting to step up, take responsibilty and recognizing they are responsible for hastening this work. We teach and baptize but we gotta have people to teach. We don't know people! They do! we need their help! Hopefully T. Monson can drive that into them!! Interesting things that happened this week: Rastas are racist, gotta have a black Jesus. A bum rubbed my belly while begging some money and I got chased by a drunk guy who thought my name was Joe! Was a rough week, but looking forward to the next especially now that I have food and don't have to do the water diet for 3 days... but hey it's a good way to get in your head that you MUST budget! Much love! Have a great week, and enjoy conference!!!

Monday, September 23, 2013

Oh boy, what can I say 'bout this week? Interesting, long, found some cool people, bike problems, that about sums it up! Ha, just kiddin', it was a great week! Did my interview for Samantha, the Negril Elders' baptism this week! She is awesome! So prepared! I asked how she felt about the Book of Mormon and she bore a powerful testimony. I felt the spirit strong and it was a wonderful teaching and learning oppurtunity! Did a trade off with Elder Belnavis, another Jamaican which is way cool. Our zone is half jamaican and half white and I'm the only one from Utah! Weird! But Elder Belnavis taught me a lot about charity with the people we teach! Great oppurtunity! Negril rains more than Sav! Hard to believe, but true!! We are on another 3 day streak without rain, guess winter is coming soon! Can't believe it is almost October and General Conference two weeks away! So excited! We actually watched a clip from Thomas S Monson in a lesson with a 7th day Adventist! I'm learning really quick that Bible bashing isn't the way to prove them wrong! Bear testimony! They got agency, if they want it.. great, if not, there is 59,999 other people in Westmoreland that might!! But it really grabbed his attention and he loved it! We found a former investigator this week as well! His name is Oniel. The missionaries before us really only gave him a Book of Mormon, but he is so ready now! Just need to find him a job so he can get a taxi to church! We met with him cuz he called us actually. So the next day we went to the church, taught him the restoration, committed him to baptism, read the book of mormon, and was going to commit to reading the plan of salvation pamplet before next meeting.... but he didnt want to ... he wanted to learn about it Now! So we taught the next lesson! The following day we laught lesson 3 and Word of Wizzum! This guy is just taking it in! Church is the only issue, gotta get him to church.. can't be baptized without it! This week we also got to meet with Annyia's mom. We just felt inspired to drop in and she was home! Sat down had a great discussion with her.. when baptism came around how a powerful lesson on the priesthood she wants to learn more.. but does not believe in a 2nd baptism.... so still got to soften her heart there!! But I think she will come around. Annyia was really bummed, but we are just gonna try focusing on her helping her mom see how much she is changing and really learning from us teaching her! We saw Sally yesterday.. we really gained her trust.. she is learning math right now so we helped her with that. So now we do about 20 minutes math before a lesson and then a lesson. Service then a lesson! I'm all bout that! So that's cool. You reallly do grow to love these people you serve and want what's best for them in any way you can help! It's so great! We don't really have anyone progressing at this point due to them not being at church! But just gotta keep looking up! Something will come out of our efforts soon I just know it! Steve was getting so close to baptism, but is in Canada right now with family. Will be back in like 3 weeks! Hopefully he can see the temple and fully functioning church while up there! That's the goal I hope.. he knows he needs to! He said he had to or he might lose that desire! He's the man! But crazy story of the week is probably being stopped by a crazy man who thought he was a police officer and was playing a flute as his departure and coming up to greet me. He told me I got to be careful and that these parts are nothing like I have ever seen before! He also directed me through traffic.. super weird.. but I just went with it! The lil town thought it was so funny, but it was alright i guess. We watched a safety video for district meeting due to all the accidents happening so everyone is fixing up their bikes and apartments. President Brown says we are to bring safety back to the mission.. so consecration, we are leaving nothing out! Almost like we are in the army.. I guess we are! God's Army! It's been a good week nonetheless looking so very much forward to the next one! The days fly by! I seriously can't believe how fast it is going! Time flies when you're working hard! Love you!

Monday, September 16, 2013

Well the week was very long considering the details I will share later. First, soccer, haha funny story with the soccer.. we played some futbol with some guys on friday at friday night activites and I guess cuz I'm white they thought I couldnt play.. so at the beginning this kid says.. k white boy you are goin to pass the ball me. I was like alright black boy.. haha then we schooled them! They were extremely astonished that white boy could play ball! Ha, so we will play every friday now :) We did have a great week though for the work! Helping people increase their faith on every corner!! Thankful for the things I learned from Elder Elliott! Really love to sing at appointments now, but I got my new comp on Thursday night, was in a tri-panionship til that night so not much time to reflect on the situation which is a good thing... but I'm thankful for Elder Elliott and his great example on the atonement and how very important it is! He will be so much more prepared when he comes back out!! Elder Pear is great though!! He hasn't gone to the MTC yet so I'm Double Training him! He actually is going to the Dominicain republic next transfer speaking Spanish so hopefully this is a good kick start to his mission!! Got 3 weeks to get him a baptism! Haha, I think we can definantly do it! Conducted an interview for the other Sav Elders this Friday and have another one this week and hopefully we will have one the following week! So the district is starting to get with the program and is doing great!! We found some solid investigators this week as we have a goal to see one member everyday in the week to build trust and get referrals or just to try to help them in their missionary efforts!! We had 3 at church and a few progressing! The baptism went well, the water ran out so we went down the ocean! It was sweet, poured rain right after!! Definantly cool, hope the water runs out on ours as well, but either way is great! This week was very long, but got many wonderful things happening! Hope all are doing well and enjoying the wonderful rain that I experience every day! Love all much! Have a fantastic week!

Monday, September 9, 2013

GOOOOD MORNING! What a week it has been! family is of number one importance that is why its in the restoration and its one of the easier things in the gospel to talk to people about!! take it all back to the restoration and the rest flows from there once they understand that!! we are on day 3 with no rain! first time in Sav that i have not seen puddles on the road! yes, its hott and humid especially at night. but the plus side is no puddles, easy to see the pot holes, and not as many mosquitoes!! plus all the beautiful nutrients of vitamin D!! yes, im not so shore what the big deal is with the bike problems and car problems but something i have learned as we are walking instead of biking with great speed people can talk to us more and easier for the lord to put people in our paths to talk to!! on bikes we dont really take those oppurtunitys so it is not needful that mine elders move swiftly from appointment to appointment saith the lord. haha but we can talk bout bike problems later!! haha cant even imagine what it will be like getting back home in the snow! yes the companion is doing Great! learning soooo much from him as we learn together, and i try to teach him the few things i know!!

Now for the uttermost spiritual side of our week, it was slow in lessons but every single one of them I would say was worth our time or efforts to prepare for! Elder Elliott looooves to sing soo something we have started doing this week is before every lesson is sing a hymn! It sets the tone for the lesson and is super spiritual!! Loved it! Starting to love singing, we sing everywhere we bike and you could say it is helping bring down my pride cuz I always before thought, no we aint singing in public, people will think we are weird. thats something I am trying to get over. If I'm being good doing the things I know I should who cares whos watching, what they are thinking, and how they react! We are disciples of Jesus Christ!!

STEVE, we have seen twice this week; he has told us he knows the Book of Mormon and Joe Smith was a prophet, now just trying to find time to teach him all the doctrine! But he is also leaving to Canada for a month so we might have to hold off on him for a minute. Dang it!

ADRAIN, found him when we got into a hard core bible bash, that's when I realized I really have learned a lot, but that's not the point, bible bashing is terrible. Tried to have the spirit there, just didn't work. The kid we were doing it with wanted us to bring something to the table to dicuss and he would talk bout something. He was soo convinced and into it til his friend came and he started the bashing. Later found out he is 7th day... kinda the problem there. But some people were listening in and one was Adrain and had an awesome desire to want to know more. We met him next day at the church, gave him a church tour and had a powerful first lesson. He said "give me sometime to read but I want to learn more"! He worked this Sunday, but hopefully next week we can get him out to church! A prepared person indeed!!

ANNYA, started to review with her, found out she really doesnt have a real testimony of the B.O.M. so recommitted her to read and pray bout that and then we just got to talk to her mom once she has a testimony there!

ONEIL, found him on the road. Has a B.O.M already and just really wants to learn more. Has studied with a lot of faiths and has a great desire to learn! Man he loves to talk but he is smart. Just another sign that the lord is hastening his work in Jamaica, no doubt bout it.

KAREEN, just need to see her more. Called her every night to read but she just works a TON! Going to see her Tuesday, she has to commit to church or probably drop her!! Despite how amazing her cooking is and how much we love her!

ALSO saw many less actives this week. I have strong hope for them. We both felt sincere love and desire for them, the singing and wonderful lessons.. I do believe they will come back and many said they have friends they want to bring with them.. GREAT!!

One of the less actives in perticular is Sis Walker.. reminds me of back home with Sister Erickson. She is old, sweet, can't walk so that's why less active, but we take her the sacrament and she has a powerful testimony and gives amazing prayers! We love her! Yesterday while singing hymn 86 we were crying, so powerful......

But to finish my email, now for the Temporal for the Week!! We had an appointment that we were bound to get to! It had been raining for like 5 hours- I shouldn't say just raining, it was like a blizzard, but RAIN!!!! Anywho, it flooded the canal and drainage ways so one of the main roadways was flooded, houses near by that weren't on blocks were flooded!! Like 30 inches of standing water on the road!! So school was just getting out, taxis couldn't get through so they had flat bed semis with 50 or so kids on each load and other people moving through this little river that was bout quarter mile long! We decided to ride through it cuz we were already wet! It was tough to pedal but when the semis came smashing through it made like tidal waves that we had to fight as well!!! It was a lot of fun, wish we could have got some photos! But didn't bring the cameras!! Some other fun things of the week is painting with Steve, painted his room purple and ate lunch together just talking bout things. Working out every morning at 4:30! Somehow still able to manage throughout the day!! It gets easier as you Go!!! haha OH and cant forget about the weekly bike problems!!! This week no tire problems, but my handle bars snapped of at the neck! So I had to grip the neck going all western on it! and had my handle for brakes in the right hand. That's how I rode from the far part of our other long stretch area! But it was great attention grabber and we talked to lots of people!!! Ha, many people are learning nothing stops us! We go out rain or shine, bike or broken bike, all day everyday!! It was a long eventful week, but much needed with fun stuff or the spiritually draining days would have killed us! One thing I have really been learning on my mission is patience. My bike breaks and I don't even get mad, you just get it fixed and keep going! No Problem Man!! So that's kinda my week in a wrap! Love you all! Work Hard, Play Hard!

Monday, September 2, 2013

Hello!! Well, typing is taking a long time today. School is back in down here instead of 5 people in the lab there is bout 40! Well this week has been an eventful one indeed. Picked up on Tuesday with Elder Groesbeck, we stayed in junction again with the Elders there! Since it was our 6 month mark we bought a liter of kerosene and Sister Newcomer came over and the 3 of us burned ties, drank bag juice, did the cinnamon challenge( which Elder Groesbeck I think is the first man in history to complete it!!!), and a challenge to see who could last longer eating javenaro peppers - super hot!! Super dumb idea!! Wednesday was transfers, went out to eat. Elder Groesbeck bought this cake and thought it tasted funny so I took a bite.. goodness it was slaughtered in rum! Not our fault!!! But transfers was great, I got Elder Elliott! He is awesome, we clicked well right at the first!! He's 20, from Cedar and was in the army before coming out. Knows his stuff - a lot more prepared than I was!!! Excited to see the work we will get done together!! The day we left transfers didn't get to teach cuz the truck bearing went out on the left front tire so we had to wait for a tow truck on top of our 5 hour drive so didn't get home til 10:45! The next day was rough too, we went to leave and his back tire wasn't even straight so we straighten the rim. We get out and are having a great day, then the rain caught us like mid day, appointments fell through so we went out and exercised our faith!! soaking wet! We biked up this hill til prompted to stop at this shop, bought some bag juice... nothing really happened until we're about to leave and this lady(Sophia) walks in and we start talking to her! We eventually get the shop owner involved and talked about the plan of salvation and got some return appointments! Faith booster!! We will lead us to them or them to us! Sunday we went to see Otis and got caught in the rain again, he ended up not answering after we confirmed it. (by the way its bout a 50 min bike ride out there!) So we are headed back, puddles all over the road, can't see the deep pot holes.. I blew my tire out up in Petersfield....took about 2 hours to get back to the house.... bummer day, but you know that's just satan working on us cuz he knows once we get going we are going to tear Sav up!! Excited for this transfer and this up coming week, gonna work hard physically and spiritually! Much love to all! The gospel of Jesus Christ is true! Have a wonderful week!!!